Emirates capacity to Copenhagen
Emirates has reintroduced its A380 to the Copenhagen route, offering 43% more seats.
The Emirates A380 serving Copenhagen offers travelers a two-class configuration with 58 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 557 spacious seats in Economy Class.
Daily flight EK151 departs Dubai at 08:30 and arrives in Copenhagen at 12:30. Return flight EK150 departs Copenhagen at 14:45 and arrives in Dubai at 00:10 the next day.
Colombo
On January 2, Emirates introduced an additional scheduled service between Colombo and Dubai, increasing seat capacity on the route by 30%.
Flight EK654/655 will accommodate up to 360 passengers in a three-class configuration: eight first class suites, 42 in business class and 310 in economy class.
The additional Colombo service will operate six times a week until March 31, departing Dubai at 10:05 (daily except Wednesday) and arriving at Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport at 16:00. The return flight will depart Colombo at 22:05 and arrive in Dubai at 01:05 the next day.
From April 1, the seventh weekly flight will operate at 22:05, arriving in Dubai at 00:55 the next day, with the return flight departing Dubai at 13:20 and arriving in Colombo at 19:15. .
A350 for Kuwait and Bahrain
The carrier is also accelerating the deployment of its Airbus A350 aircraft to Kuwait and Bahrain from January 8.
The A350 will be the second and third destinations for the airline’s newest widebody after its London debut in early 2024.
Kuwait
A350 will operate on flights EK853/854. EK853 departs Dubai at 01h25, arrives Kuwait at 02h15. EK854 returns from Kuwait at 06h25.
Emirates has been serving Kuwait since 1989 and currently operates 29 weekly flights to the destination.
Bahrain
The A350 will operate two of Emirates’ three daily services to Bahrain.
Flight EK837 departs from Dubai at 08:20 and arrives in Bahrain at 08:40. Return flight EK838 departs Bahrain at 10:00, arriving Dubai at 12:15.
Flight EK839, also operated by an A350, departs at 16:00, arriving in Bahrain at 16:20. Flight EK840 departs Bahrain at 17:45, arriving in Dubai at 20:00.
Emirates currently operates 22 weekly flights to Bahrain, which will now be served by a mix of A350 and Boeing 777 aircraft.
The A350 has 312 seats in three cabins, 32 lie-flat seats in Next Generation Business Class, 21 in Premium Economy Class and 259 in Economy Class.
Emirates to become world’s first autism-certified airline
Emirates has embarked on its journey to become the world’s first ‘Autism Certified Airline’, welcoming customers with autism and sensory sensitivities.
The International Council for Accreditation and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) will formally award the inaugural title in the coming months after more than 30,000 Emirates cabin crew and ground staff complete initial training.
The certification process includes ensuring that at least 80% of customer-facing staff receive dedicated training, as well as a commitment to continuous training and improvement.
Emirates also plans to introduce new standards and services that will improve the ground and air travel experience for customers on the autism spectrum and their families and companions, to be announced at a later date.
For many members of the global autism community, international air travel is a very difficult experience or something to be avoided entirely due to the high level of sensory stimulation that can be involved.
A survey by AutismTravel.com found that 78% of families are hesitant to travel or visit new places, and that 94% of respondents would take more vacations if they had access to places with autism-trained and certified staff. is
Qatar resumes flights to several destinations
Qatar Airways landed its first relaunched flight at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport (AHB) on January 2.
The airline will operate two weekly flights to Abha every Thursday and Saturday with the following schedule:
Malta
From July 2, Qatar Airways will resume four weekly flights to Malta.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, flight QR381 will depart Doha at 02:05 and arrive in Malta at 06:45. Return flight QR382 will depart Malta at 10:15 and return to Doha at 16:20.
On Mondays and Saturdays, flight QR383 will depart Doha at 08:45 and arrive in Malta at 13:25. Return flight QR384 will depart Malta at 17:05 and return to Doha at 23:10.
Canberra
Qatar Airways will resume daily flights to Canberra from 1 December 2025.
The daily flights from Doha to Melbourne will be operated by Qatar’s Boeing 777, which will be fitted with a Q-suite business class cabin and high-speed Starlink WiFi for all passengers.
Flight QR988 departs Doha at 08:30 and arrives in Canberra at 08:50 the next day. Return flight QR989 departs Canberra at 13:10 and arrives in Doha the following day at 22:30.
The Turkish company resumes flights to Benghazi
On January 14, after a 10-year break, Turkish Airlines resumed its three-weekly flights to the Libyan city of Benghazi.
On Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays, flight TK641 departs Istanbul at 09:15 and arrives in Benghazi at 10:50. On the same days, return flight TK642 departs Benghazi at 12:50 and returns to Istanbul at 16:10.
Delta Announces Big Profits for 2024
Delta Air Lines has reported full-year 2024 financial results, with operating revenue of US$61.6 billion (R1.1 trillion).